Blue Demons: A West Virginia Legacy

[@country_roadsWV]

Thank you for creating and sharing this. I couldn't help but to shed some heartwarming tears at the truth, legacy, happy memories and even the humanity that Jennings and his wife, Patty; and deep appreciation I have for Mr. Mark who was also my teacher and also my daughter's principal --- did to touch so many lives and many generations in so many positive and great mentoring and influencing ways - even in - my generation that was born in 1976. I never knew of Mark's beginnings on the team and his dedication to continue Boyd' work of coaching and the battles they endured that closed Northfork High School. I have watched many documentaries and historical aspects of Blue Demons and this one is my favorite because it really showcases why we love Northfork and our county so much and the people we met along the way living there. I attended Elkhorn Jr. High in the Blue Demons school building. I also graduated from the Elkhorn Alternative Center when it was placed inside the Blue Demons school. So I spent almost 6 years of middle school and high school years in this building and never grasped nor learned the significant history and how special it was by these teachers who helped me to graduate also. Mr. Mark was such a humble man and commendable teacher. He never boasted his Blue Demons days as my teacher. Because he was too busy coaching us that we could grasp and apply the lessons he was teaching. Students knew he cared. Never knowing and appreciating his contributions he made to so many. I was even too young to really know or appreciate the efforts made by all who made the Blue Demons what they were and what it meant to their families and the youth back then and our community. I got to know Mr. Mark as a teacher that I greatly respected. And he helped so much in our daughter graduating high school as principal at Montcalm High school. So much of this is true of the diversity of our area growing up in McDowell county that we respected our elders and we were either naive or really blessed to never know or experience the challenges that so many others did with the diversity of people in McDowell County. Even as a adult - I was priveldge to work with other employees who did actually play against the Blue Demons - when they were teens. And the stories were always the same how they loved the opportunity and chance to beat the Blue Demons. Though they never could. But they welcomed the challenges and were terrified the same - of playing against the Blue Demons. I also know when Jennings Boyd was on the Board of Education (before he retired permanently) how he tried his best with Linda Douglas to save the CASE WV headstart program --- before the independent headstart centers got closed and were consolidated into the public schools of McDowell county. These were my educators and mentors who not only taught their students the academics they needed to survive on as adults- but they gave us a sense of community and humanity that even was prevalent in my generation and in my daughter's generation. The floods relocated us to Mercer County also - but my heart and home will always be in McDowell county. And the wonderful memories of all the very special I knew who helped shaped me into the person I am now. The hardest parts of about sharing the beautiful memories we experienced is not about the loss of being forgotten --- but making the time to share with our young ones the emotionally thrilling and politically charged environments and resilient people that shaped who we are and why we must never let them forget what they will never experience in their generation. That's the saddest and happiest of all this. It reminds what being a human being to share in our community is all about. If we cannot bring ourselves to appreciate the goodness and the community and the wonderful blessings and lessons we learn along the way --- then how will they ever know these things also? May God bless you for these efforts. Because it is so heartwarming and those happy memories should never be forgotten by any of us and should always be shared. That's how we keep community and humanity alive and that's the most precious gifts of legacy these mentors gave us to carry on to others. May we never forget.

[@TOMCAT_F-14]

Spring of 1979 I was a junior @ Oak Hill High School and attended the WV State Finals @ the WVU Coliseum, Morgantown West Virginia. When the Blue Demons took to the court, you knew you were among Gaints, they were like watching an NBA team. They were tall and fast and they and Coach Boyd were like a well oiled machine, hitting on all cylinders. They were a skilled and disciplined team. Happy to have been a spectator and witnessed WV Sports History.

[@haroldnicely5463]

What a story that needed told and documented for generations.. Thank you John Hale and WV PBS.

[@ChickyBazooka]

Just found this video and it brought back a ton of memories for me. I knew Coach Jennings Boyd and his lovely wife, Patty, very well. I also got to know and still count among my friends, many of the players on these teams. Thank you John Hale for this walk down memory lane and a revisit to the hallowed championships that were The Northfork Blue Demons!

[@paris9474]

And Mark Page! I was one of the cheerleaders, ( not those pictured) Goo Blue Demons!!

[@Solo_01]

Wow. I went to Northfork when it became the Junior High after this decision was made in the 1985-86 school year as a 7th grader. I went to Switchback Elementary and remember the back and forth on whether the school would close. I wanted it to stay open. I also wanted to attend the original location of Elkhorn Jr. High because it was located in Upland, WV just down the street in walking distance from our house. Our Junior high teams carried on the name and tradition from 85-88 while I was there as the Northfork Blue Demons under coach Roy Music. Some players from those teams were Barry McCoy, Jeff Gammon in 87 and Tony Woody, Jerome Fodrell, Maurice Betts, and Damian McCoy in 88. I remember that we were rummaging through an old supply room during gym class where some of the old Northfork Blue Demon warm ups were left. We got those warm ups out and asked our coach, Mr. Music if we could wear them for pre-game warmups for the next home game. He allowed us to do so and when we did, it had the fans going crazy bringing back all of the Northfork Blue Demon memories. After that game we had a lot of old players and older fans showing up at our junior high games just to see us in those warm ups. It helped also that we were pretty good and a excellent representation of those players that came before us. I will take all of those memories with me forever. I moved out after joining the military and live in California now. I have a son that plays basketball and I've told him the stories of the Northfork Blue Demons too many times now. If there's anything good to take from the consolidation of the high schools, Mountain View High School Golden Knights became a AAA state power house in football over the following years in 90 and 91. During my time at Mount. View I remember Coach Page as the basketball coach for the Golden Knights after the consolidation. I remember Coach Boyd and his wife was my teacher for a couple of years.

[@ineedmoney4614]

Someone call espn on behalf of us Wv folk. This felt like a espn 30:30 🙏🏽🖤

[@carolosborne8962]

Great coach and great math teacher!!

[@mode_m55]

Nicely done John Hale!! This is awesome. I'm sad that being born and raised in WV I've never heard of the Blue Demons. Thanks for capturing this forever!

[@johnhizzle22]

Awww Matt. Thanks man, I really appreciate it.

[@onraceday48]

Memories Like NO Others!

[@dyhardpistonfan]

I grew up in Huntington West Virginia and never heard of Northfork until I met a guy that grew up there and he told me about the basketball team. Great story and sad that like so many other high schools in West Virginia consolidation killed them.

[@deno4453]

I graduated from Northfork-Elkhorn High school before merging with Elkhorn High to become Northfork High. I remember Jennings Boyd as a young assistant basketball coach at N-E High school. His wife Patty Romeo Jennings was the girl's PE teacher. Northfork was always a basketball town with good basketball teams with stars like Ray Decker, George Trent, Jimmy Joe Lodolo, Jasper Shelton, and Butch Huges to mention a few.

[@richardbrackens611]

wow its cool hearing all those names Jenning was my coach also and coach Brant Rich Brackens 1961

[@deno4453]

@@richardbrackens611 How are you doing Richard? I really liked Coach Bryant, he was tough but he was fair.

[@jimmyruger7529]

I played ball in the 70s in Crestline Ohio, but God bless WV, and them mountains.

[@macossa101]

Blue Demons basketball was like a religion to us. Demons Forever!!!

[@rcwright7760]

Absolutely beautifully done!!!!! Great history lesson of a time almost forgotten. Excellent work!!!

[@marissasabatucci8824]

Damn!!! The narrator's voice is smooth like butter. A compelling and endearing story :) Love it!

[@danielfarmer9533]

I can remember these days well my father owned a men’s clothing store in Keystone and we listened to games on the radio 📻 sometimes. We would go to the Brushfork armory in 1980 1981 and you couldn’t find a seat

[@tripeeblonde8309]

NHS Class of 1979, we were living the best times of our life!

[@Frumess]

Great work, John!!!

[@chriswallswvu]

Love this so much!

[@bigdog593]

I'm from Parkersburg and heard of the blue devils and I never knew about racism was brought up in a mixed neighborhood everyone got along most people could learn from us all school were integrated and everyone got along wake up people we are all of one get to know your neighbors God bless

[@latarshasmall7102]

Great Job John, Well Done 🎉❤

[@SoloFalcon1138]

Excellent job, John Hale!

[@JetSkiJockey]

They should make a movie about this.

[@stephenbrand5661]

It's sad to see that those men in the documentary have already passed away, but the average male life expectancy in McDowell County, West Virginia is only 63.5 years. That means the average man living in California can be expected to live an entire 15 years longer than the average man in McDowell County!!!

[@latarshasmall7102]

I can’t wait ❤

[@paris9474]

So weird to see my childhood, good weird, but weird.

[@walterperry4565]

Mr. Peabody's coal train has hauled it away.😢

[@haydendelena]

With real respect ,one doesn't see one color . You see the true beauty of all the colors in the hole box .

[@jakewoods2587]

I'm proud to say I'm a part of history I played in that gym sad to see they're knocking it down

[@reddfoxx2861]

What ever happened to the coach and the rest of the starting five.

[@Solo_01]

Coach Boyd had passed away back in the late 90's I think. Not sure about the rest of the players.

[@LVXMagick]

I thought this would be about demons in WV not basketball...I'm highly disappointed lol

[@johnhizzle22]

😂😂😂😂

[@johnhallock2710]

This is OUTSTANDING!!!!Very fascinating!